NOTATIONS and DATA TYPES (was: Update on namespaces)

My understanding on notations is that the ExternalId used refers to some
processor capable of interpreting the data (e.g. a program that can read
and display GIF bitmaps if the external binary resource is in fact a GIF
bitmap).  Do I read this correctly?

If so, that is somewhat different from identifying the resource as a GIF
bitmap in a universal way. It would certainly be different from
identifying "1234.56" as being a number in the following example:

	<price>1234.56</price>

or this as being a date:

	<birthday>19590609</birthday>

If my understanding of NOTATION is correct (from section 4.6 in the
working draft at
http://www.textuality.com/sgml-erb/WD-xml-lang.html#sec4.6), then a
NOTATION in effect says "I don't know how to deal with this external
resource, but here is the identifier of some processor that does."  Data
types would be saying "This is a number (date, time, etc.) I make no
recommendations regarding processing."

--Andrew Layman
   AndrewL@microsoft.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Martin Bryan [SMTP:mtbryan@sgml.u-net.com]
> Sent:	Wednesday, June 11, 1997 8:06 AM
> To:	w3c-sgml-wg@w3.org
> Subject:	Re: Update on namespaces
> 
> At 21:37 11/6/97 +1000, Rick Jelliffe wrote:
> 
> >Where this is leading, therefore is that I think XML should allow
> NOTATIONS
> attributes
> >on elements (with architectural form XML-NOTATIONS or XML-TYPE),
> 
> Seconded
> 
> > and NOTATION declarations
> 
> It already allows these
> 
> > and that NOTATION declarations should have something that allows
> them 
> >to chain (e.g. "USES"). 
> 
> Why not data attributes with an XML-USES attribute?
> 
> >
> >Furthermore, it should allow (with the appropriate changes to ISO
> 8879)
> 
> What changes other than the new TC would be required?
> 
> > a SEEALSO 
> >parameter on the DOCTYPE declaration, to declare notations that
> together
> convert the
> >element set declarations into a DTD (document type definition). E.g:
> 
> What does this mean?
> ----
> Martin Bryan, The SGML Centre, Churchdown, Glos. GL3 2PU, UK 
> Phone/Fax: +44 1452 714029   WWW home page: http://www.sgml.u-net.com/
>

Received on Wednesday, 11 June 1997 14:00:04 UTC